Sadly, the Providence Library Defense website is no longer going strong. However, there are two new websites that have been launched concerned with the layoffs and branch closings that have been happening in the beleaguered Providence Public Library system. The Library Reform Group and Not About the Buildings [read more here, here and here].
ALA Website Usability Survey
Please take the ALA Website Usability Survey. Please be honest. Jenny has included the text of a letter from ALA’s Executive Director explaning the rationale behind the survey. Even though I think this is too little way too late — maybe this should have beern done before the last redesign? — it’s still an attempt to right wrongs. Give them a chance, take the survey.
please fill out the Speaking Survey
Rachel Singer Gordon is trying to get an idea of what library speakers are charging, and receiving, for speaking work, and what sort of work they are doing. Take a minute and go fill out her Speaking Survey.
SPL’s signage woes
I’ve talked before about Seattle Public’s newish Big Beautiful Library, and others have mentioned the weird juxtaposition of amazing architecture with crummy laser-printed signage or post-it signage. It’s no surprise that you can have cleaner lines and more striking architecture without little notes everyplace saying “this way to the restroom” but those are the choices we have to make as librarians. Now it looks like Seattle is finally paying someone to fix their sign problem. [thanks carolyn]
cARTalog – card catalog art
Cartalog is an online gallery of card catalog art, a great companion to John Blyberg’s Catalog Card Generator, check this post for more information about how the generator came about. Sadly, by the time I heard about the cartalog, they were no longer sending out cards.